Four people died and several were injured in a bus crash on a highway in British Columbia on New Year’s Eve, local authorities said on Sunday.
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A total of 53 people were taken to four hospitals in the province of western Canada, 36 of whom were being treated “for serious to minor injuries,” regional health agency Interior Health said.
Eight more people were hospitalized as of Sunday morning, including two in critical condition.
According to the federal police responsible for the investigation, there is every indication that the “extremely icy road” led to the bus overturning.
British Columbia has been hit by winter storm warnings for the past week that have brought heavy snowfall, including to the area where the crash occurred, a three-hour drive east of Vancouver.
“Our hearts go out to those affected by the accident, their families and first responders and carers,” British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement, saying he was “shocked and saddened” by the news.
Canada has been facing a series of winter storms since Friday, hitting the country from west to east.
In Ontario, extreme conditions derailed a freight train on Saturday, canceling all trains between Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal for Christmas Day.
Prior to this accident, a tree falling on a locomotive and power outages had already caused major delays on Friday night, with some passengers waiting between Ottawa and Toronto around 6 p.m.